Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody's power and is not easy. Aristotle

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That is my quote above in the title. I remember one day long ago thinking. ” this love business sucks and it isn’t all that people make it out to be.” I was in my late 20’s. In a conversation with my dad about love I found the answer to my attitude about love. I wasn’t actually looking for the answer since I thought I knew what it was. But in his profound wisdom I found that what ever I thought I knew was wrong and it bothered me. If we go to the bible and read Corinthians 13 we see what love is in its true meaning. It is not Valentine’s day and boxes of chocolate and expensive dinners. It is a tremendous sacrifice that we make for those we profess our love to. Now at 45 I can say that I have actually discovered what LOVE is and isn’t. So it took me 20+ years to see what my dad talked about. Here is the passage from the bible. I know there are many version but I chose this one to use as my example. Taken from http://www.catholic.org.

Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will fall silent; and if knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know only imperfectly, and we prophesy imperfectly;but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will be done away with. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and see things as a child does, and think like a child; but now that I have become an adult, I have finished with all childish ways. Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face. Now I can know only imperfectly; but then I shall know just as fully as I am myself known. As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love.

Now take a look at my title. None of these things are beautiful, they are indeed some of the hardest things we have had to endure. Love is knowing that I might get hurt or rejected. Loving means taking a chance with my heart wide open on something I am afraid of. Love is never being angry but instead putting aside my feelings and thoughts for someone who at that particular time may be hurting my being, my soul. Love is simple sacrifice of oneself for another, and we know that is not simple. I think of this when I cannot seem to wrap my brain around my husbands ex wife’s ways of thinking or reasoning. Mostly with regards to the well being of her daughter. I know she loves her she is her mother but at times I wonder why a mother would put her needs before those of their child. This can make me angry, but love is what I need to put me in a place where I can sort it out and think to myself, she is only human. I have been a mom longer and I have made my share of mistakes and probably my share of selfishness with my own daughter. But never did I do anything with out her in mind. I must love and reflect on my husbands ex wife’s life and accept her for who she is. The more I do this the more I see a person not so unlike myself at times. A human being that is hurting and carrying around her own life and her own set of reasons for what ever I see that might not sit well with me. Who am I to judge that? The more I love the more I see the world in a way that is non threatening. It is sad sometimes but I am not afraid, not like I used to be. That is where the second part of my title comes in. The outcome of our love and acceptance of what love really is, is EXTRAORDINARY! It really is. If you can achieve this level of love and acceptance for others your life is at peace. Why because you are no longer fighting against yourself. You see the world in all its glory and all its darkness. The sunshine and the shadows you always avoid. It is humanity you see with it’s broken heart on it’s sleeve. I am not perfect and I still doubt the things my dad explained and oh holy crap it gets hard. But if you live every day with this in mind it might not be so bad when you come across something not so beautiful. You might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel( more on this in another post) and realize that your reward your outcome of such sacrifice is indeed BEAUTIFUL.